Black Lung Benefits Program (Black Lung Program)
Death notification, 3 survivor benefits, and required documents
OverviewWhen someone dies
DCMWC National Office (Washington, DC)
Phone(202) 693-0046
Toll-Free1-800-347-2502
EmailDCMWC-public@dol.gov
Fax(202) 693-1395
Mailing Address
U.S. Department of Labor OWCP/DCMWC, P.O. Box 8307, London, KY 40742-8307 (Central Mailroom for all claim correspondence)
WebsiteVisit website→
DCMWC Survivor Claims (any district office can accept)
Phone1-800-347-2502
EmailDCMWC-public@dol.gov
Mailing Address
U.S. Department of Labor OWCP/DCMWC, P.O. Box 8307, London, KY 40742-8307
WebsiteLearn about benefits→
HoursMon–Fri (national toll-free line)
Verified May 2026
The Black Lung Benefits Program, administered by the Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation (DCMWC) within the Department of Labor's Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, pays monthly cash benefits and medical coverage to coal miners who are totally disabled by pneumoconiosis ("black lung disease") arising out of coal mine employment, and monthly benefits to eligible surviving family members of miners whose deaths are attributable to the disease. The program operates under the Black Lung Benefits Act (30 U.S.C. § 901 et seq.). Benefits are paid by the responsible coal mine operator (or its insurer) under Part C of the Act, or by the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund when no operator is liable. Survivors of miners already entitled to benefits on a lifetime claim may be automatically eligible under expedited procedures.
Death notification
The Black Lung Program does not receive automated death notices. A surviving spouse, child, dependent parent, or eligible dependent sibling of a coal miner who died from black lung disease must affirmatively file a Survivor's Claim (Form CM-912) with DCMWC. The claim can be filed with any DCMWC district office, mailed to the Central Mailroom in London, KY, or submitted electronically through the C.O.A.L. Mine Portal at coalmine.dol.gov. If the miner was already receiving lifetime Black Lung benefits, DCMWC may use expedited adjudication procedures, but the survivor still must file Form CM-912 — payments do not start automatically.
Deadline: No statutory filing deadline for survivor's claims, but benefits generally start no earlier than the month the claim is filed (with limited exceptions), so delays can permanently forfeit months of benefits.
Survivor benefits
The Black Lung Program offers 3 benefits for surviving family members.
Survivor's Monthly Black Lung Benefits
Monthly cash benefits to eligible surviving family members of a coal miner whose death was due to pneumoconiosis ("black lung disease"), or whose death follows entitlement on the miner's own lifetime claim. Eligible classes under 20 CFR Part 725 include a surviving spouse (and certain surviving divorced spouses), dependent children, dependent parents, and dependent brothers or sisters who meet the relationship and dependency tests in the regulations. The 2026 base monthly rate for a single primary beneficiary is $793.60 under Part C claims (paid by the responsible coal mine operator or the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund and disbursed around the 15th of each month) and $793.00 under Part B claims (originally approved by the Social Security Administration and disbursed around the 3rd of each month). Rates are set by Section 412(a)(1) of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act at 37.5% of the base salary of a federal employee at GS-2, Step 1, and increase when the GS pay scale increases.
Amount: 2026 Part C: $793.60 (primary beneficiary), $1,190.30 (primary + 1 dependent), $1,388.70 (primary + 2 dependents), $1,587.10 (primary + 3 or more dependents). 2026 Part B: $793.00, $1,190.00, $1,388.00, $1,587.00 at the same dependent tiers. Benefit is offset if the beneficiary also receives certain state or federal workers' compensation awards.
Medical Benefits (Survivors of Entitled Miners)
The Black Lung Benefits Act provides medical coverage to entitled miners for the treatment of pneumoconiosis and related lung diseases. Medical benefits do not transfer to survivors after the miner's death; survivors who qualify receive only the monthly cash benefit described above. The Department of Labor reissued Medical Benefits Identification Cards (MBIC) in 2024 — surviving beneficiaries should retain their own MBIC if independently entitled but should not use the deceased miner's card after death.
Augmentation for Additional Dependents
When a primary survivor beneficiary supports additional qualified dependents (for example, a surviving spouse caring for dependent children of the deceased miner), the monthly benefit is augmented above the single-beneficiary base rate. Augmentation tiers are set by statute and apply to both Part B (SSA-administered) and Part C (DOL-administered) claims. The same rate tiers apply to a miner's benefits during life and to survivor benefits after death — 150% of the base rate for one dependent, ~175% for two dependents, and 200% for three or more dependents.
Amount: 2026 augmented totals (Part C / Part B): one dependent $1,190.30 / $1,190.00; two dependents $1,388.70 / $1,388.00; three or more dependents $1,587.10 / $1,587.00.
Forms
CM-912Survivor's Claim for Benefits Under the Black Lung Benefits Act
Filed by a surviving spouse, child, parent, or dependent sibling of a deceased coal miner to claim monthly Black Lung survivor benefits.
View form →CM-911aEmployment History
Supplemental form required with both miner and survivor claims. Documents the miner's coal mine employment history (employers, dates, jobs) and any non-coal-mining work, used to identify the responsible operator.
View form →CM-911Miner's Claim for Benefits Under the Black Lung Benefits Act
Filed by an active or retired coal miner to claim monthly Black Lung disability benefits and medical coverage during their lifetime. (Listed for completeness — survivors file CM-912 instead.)
View form →SSA-581Authorization to Obtain Earnings Data from the Social Security Administration
Authorizes DCMWC to obtain SSA earnings records to verify the miner's coal mine employment history.
View form →When someone dies
Notifying the Black Lung Program after a death
7-step process, 9 required documents, and 3 survivor benefits.
View details →Frequently asked questions
Augmentation tiers apply to both Part B and Part C: 150% of the base rate for one dependent, approximately 175% for two dependents, and 200% for three or more dependents. In 2026, that works out to $1,190.30 / $1,388.70 / $1,587.10 per month under Part C and $1,190.00 / $1,388.00 / $1,587.00 under Part B. Qualified dependents must meet the relationship and dependency tests at 20 CFR Part 725, Subpart B.
Part B benefits (originally approved by SSA) are paid around the 3rd of each month. Part C benefits (paid by the responsible coal mine operator or the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund) are paid around the 15th of each month. The Department of Labor has begun transitioning all Black Lung payments from paper checks to electronic direct deposit and prepaid debit cards.
DCMWC National Office (Washington, DC)
Phone(202) 693-0046
Toll-Free1-800-347-2502
EmailDCMWC-public@dol.gov
Fax(202) 693-1395
Mailing Address
U.S. Department of Labor OWCP/DCMWC, P.O. Box 8307, London, KY 40742-8307 (Central Mailroom for all claim correspondence)
WebsiteVisit website→
DCMWC Survivor Claims (any district office can accept)
Phone1-800-347-2502
EmailDCMWC-public@dol.gov
Mailing Address
U.S. Department of Labor OWCP/DCMWC, P.O. Box 8307, London, KY 40742-8307
WebsiteLearn about benefits→
HoursMon–Fri (national toll-free line)
Verified May 2026